Harbaugh could be star witness in sideline incident from Seahawks game

Coach Jim Harbaugh said the league has contacted the 49ers about a sideline incident that involved a Seattle Seahawks player running into a 49ers employee during the NFC Championship Game.

Harbaugh said general manager Trent Baalke spoke with the league about the matter. He also said that he is willing to testify if called upon.

Seahawks gunner Jeremy Lane was forced out of bounds by 49ers blocker Tramaine Brock in the second quarter of the Seahawks 23-17 victory over the 49ers, at which time Lane came into contact with someone employed by the 49ers. Officials did not penalize the 49ers.

“I do, though, have a perspective of that because I did see it,” Harbaugh said Tuesday in his year-end news conference. “I was standing closer to the sideline than the person that got run into.”

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Harbaugh declined to identify the person Lane made contact with, though he confirmed it wasn’t a player and that he knows the person’s identity.

“I saw Jeremy came into our box, and I turned around and what I saw was our guy do the exact same thing; turned around,” Harbaugh said. “ …I was practically in his shoes because we both kind of turned around and saw the same thing.

“He did run into our guy. He kind of stumbled down to the ground. But our guy was in a spot back where he was supposed to be. I saw it with my own two eyes. I saw the same kind of reaction. He made the same reaction that I did. I could be called for a witness on that.”

This isn’t the first time the NFL has presided over a sideline incident. Earlier this season, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin got fined $100,000 for breaking the sideline boundary and forcing Baltimore Ravens kick returner Jacoby Jones to alter his path on a kick return.

In 2010, the league fined the New York Jets $100,000 for strength coach Sal Alosi forming a wall on the sideline and tripping Miami Dolphins cornerback Nolan Carroll.